Confirmed: Manapul and Buccellato take over Detective Comics

Batman by Francis Manapul

DC Comics announced through USA Today that Francis Manapul and Brian Buccellato, who are leaving The Flash after November’s Flash #25, will be taking over Detective Comics next spring.

They spoke to USA Today about focusing on the “detective” side of Batman, introducing additional supporting cast to “focus on the importance of family to Bruce Wayne,” and Batman’s obsession with protecting Gotham City. “Unlike other heroes who protect their home because they want to, Batman has to. He’s going to be such a fun character to sink our teeth into.”

Brian Buccellato stresses that they have a “gritty and dark side” more suited to Batman than their lighter take on the Flash and Central City. Readers concerned that the book will be too bright for Batman may want to look outside DC Comics to Buccellato’s solo writing on Foster at Dog Year Comics and and The Black Bat at Dynamite.

The article doesn’t say exactly when Manapul and Buccellato will be taking over the book, and but it’s after Detective Comics #27, which will be a special anniversary issue.

No word yet on the new Flash creative team.

Update: Rob S. points out in the comments an interview at CBR in which the team talks about their approach to Batman, and mentions that Brian Buccellato will stay on as solo Flash writer for three more issues.

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28 thoughts on “Confirmed: Manapul and Buccellato take over Detective Comics

  1. Scarlet Speedster

    Crud. Was kinda hoping they would be doing a Rogues series or something Flash-related- but on the biirght side, they may inspire me to read Batman again! It’s about time someone put the DETECTIVE back in Detective Comics.

    Reply
  2. Kyer

    So…more detective oriented stories…..and more family….

    Interesting indeed.
    Am I the only one who is now jealous that Bruce Wayne gets to have CSI/mystery kind of stories and an active *family* life both in costume and in street clothes while Barry was denied his CSI story (stories) and his family? Note: Kyer is not blaming the creators on this, but she’s more into giving the hairy eyeball towards Editorial who already has been the ‘villain’ in her Flash world view.)

    Well….whatever. (I am not bitter. I am NOT bitter….)

    Maybe someone will write that CSI Gem Cities story?

    Reply
    1. MisterNefarious

      Yeah I was bummed we didn’t get around to much CSI stuff during their run with Barry, and that the plot thread with his dad was sort of left hanging. At least I dig the relationship with Patty and whatever is happening with Iris!

      I actually may start picking up Batman with their run. I love these guys.

      Reply
    2. Kelson Post author

      IIRC, the Gem Cities cold case story was fully written, but DC decided to scrap it before they started drawing it. So the script is probably sitting around on a computer somewhere.

      Reply
    3. Scarlet Speedster

      Yes, I second this! I definitely wished the CSI/detective stories could have been done more in Flash, & he could have had more of a “family”, but like you I know that’s DC editorial. And I know had Manapul & Boosh’s Gem Cities story been printed it would have displayed this perfectly. I know they have it in them to weave a good mystery/detective story. I too hope that the next creative team explores the CSI side of Barry, his scientific analysis of bizarre anomalistic crimes that only he can solve, both in & out of his scalet costume. It’s one of the things that make Barry stand out.

      Reply
      1. MisterNefarious

        I like his family, but don’t want more “family”.
        In that I mean that I don’t want thirty speedsters running around, distracting people from what makes Flash special.

        But I’d love to see more exploration with Bart (very extended family), more with the other cops and Iris. Patty and her family are worth exploring as well.

        Heroes become less interesting when we never see their human side, and the CSI is his human side! 😀

        Reply
        1. Kyer

          Ray is the only Atom I ever saw (JLU cartoon and then things like Identity Crisis?) so can’t really say, but did like Ray in the cartoon.
          However, I really hope any future Atom book does not show him or her using their power to hurt people (aka Injustice/Forever Evil.) Current regime has already managed to ruin Plastic Man for me by making him sicko dark (Flashpoint!) and he used to be one of my favorite ‘fun’ characters.

          Reply
          1. Scarlet Speedster

            Yeah, that Plastic Man thing was so wrong. Similarly, I used to love Blue Devil, growing up his book was so much fun, then they turned him into an actual demon, tried to make him DC’s Hellboy- Shadowpact turned it around a bit, then the New 52 screwed him up again. His new look is horrible & no fun. Most comics these days have a way to suck the fun out of everything.

            Reply
            1. Mack Nathan, Flash Neighbor!

              Well to be fair, Flashpoint was already a f*cked up place, but I think its safe to say if Plastic Man ever returns he’ll be back as a comedic character once again.
              As for the Atom, I hope that if he ever returns and gets an ongoing, Manapaul and Buccelato are the ones who would write it. I love how they incorporated science into the Flash, and that’s something the Atom badly needs. The white dwarf star stuff was probably the stupidest psudeo-science of all time.

              Reply

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